Gaming Rant: The Bioware Game

In my rant about gaming Stockholm syndrome, I mentioned some of my fairly radical opinions on Mass Effect 2 and by extension Bioware’s extended library of games. The topic of making computer RPGs fun is something I’ve been struggling with for awhile now. I am sure anyone who doesn’t replay Planescape: Torment every month has at one time or another questioned the fun they have with modern RPG releases. We are hypothetically at the apex of digital immersion, where graphics engines are capable of more details presented faster and more smoothly than ever before (note: capability and execution are two different things, as shadow glitches and clipping and so on still permeate many, many games). We have professional game design schools which specialize in training the next generation of developers. We have everything we need to make great advancements in storytelling and revolutions in game design. And yet, we are still remaking Baldur’s Gate, tarted up with space magic and Cthulhu monsters.